Ada Lovelace Fellowship

Program details

Region

North America

What it is

A three-year fellowship for PhD students at North American universities who are members of groups underrepresented in computing and pursuing research aligned to the research topics carried out by Microsoft Research.

How to apply

Applicants must be in their second year of PhD studies and nominated by the department chair in their field of study. Applications will be accepted through 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, Ada Lovelace Day.

Contact us

Please direct any questions not answered in the FAQ to your university department chair or contact Microsoft directly at:

About

Microsoft recognizes the value of diversity in computing. The Microsoft Research Ada Lovelace Fellowship aims to increase the pipeline of diverse talent receiving advanced degrees in computing-related fields by providing a research funding opportunity for doctoral students from groups underrepresented in computing (women, African-Americans/Blacks, Latinos, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, people with disabilities and/or LGBTQ).

Provisions of the 2019 award

Tuition and fees are covered for three academic years (2019–20, 2020–21, and 2021–22).

A $42,000 USD stipend is provided to help with living expenses and conference travel while in school for three academic years (2019–20, 2020–21, and 2021–22).

An invitation to interview for one salaried internship in 2019 with leading Microsoft researchers working on cutting-edge projects related to the recipient’s field of study.

An invitation to the PhD Summit: a two-day workshop in the fall at our Redmond lab where fellows will meet with Microsoft researchers and other top students to share their research.

Note: Fellowships are awarded to recipients for three consecutive academic years only and are not available for extension.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants for the Microsoft Research Ada Lovelace Fellowship must be nominated by their universities, and their nominations must be confirmed by the office of the chair of the department. Direct applications from students are not accepted.

Students must attend a North American university.

The proposed research must be closely related to the research topics carried out by Microsoft Research as noted in the Research areas tab above. We are particularly interested in proposals related to Systems & Networking and AI (including Machine Learning, Computer Vision, and Robotics) as well as interdisciplinary extensions to them.

Students must be in their second year of a PhD program in the fall semester or quarter of 2018. The nominating university will be asked to confirm the student’s PhD program start date (month/year).

A maximum of three applicants per department, per university, will be accepted.

All three applicants must self-identify with an underrepresented group in computing (women, African-Americans/Blacks, Latinos, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, people with disabilities, and/or LGBTQ).

Microsoft will have discretion as to how any remaining funds will be used if the student is no longer qualified to receive funding (e.g. if the student unenrolls from the program, graduates, or transfers to a different university).

The recipient must remain an active, full-time student in a PhD program during the three consecutive academic years of the award or forfeit the award.

A recipient of a Microsoft Research Ada Lovelace Fellowship may not receive another fellowship from another company or institution for the same academic period. Fellows accepting multiple fellowships may become ineligible to receive continued funding from Microsoft.

Microsoft actively seeks to foster greater levels of diversity in our workforce and in our pipeline of future researchers. We are always looking for the best and brightest talent and celebrate individuality. We invite candidates to come as they are and do what they love.

Apply

How to apply

Applications will be accepted through 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, Ada Lovelace Day.

Applications must include:

Nominee’s name, email, university, and department

Month and year the nominee entered their PhD program and expected graduation date (nominee must currently be in the second year of their PhD program and vetted by the university)

Whether or not the nominee self-identifies with an underrepresented group in computing (women, African-Americans/Blacks, Latinos, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, people with disabilities and/or LGBTQ) – all three applicants per department must self-identify as such

Nominee’s curriculum vitae

Nominee’s thesis proposal or research statement title

One-page summary of their thesis proposal or research statement

Their thesis proposal or research statement (short and concise is recommended—no more than five pages)

Approximate cost of tuition and fees for one academic year

Where and when the nominee held an internship (if applicable)

Name and email of the nominee’s advisor

Primary and secondary research areas (a list can be found on our Research areas tab)

Letters of reference from three established researchers familiar with the nominee’s research (at least one of which must be from their primary academic advisor/supervisor)

Application submissions will be accepted via the online application tool through 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, October 9, 2018.

Applications will be accepted in any of the following formats: Word document, text-only file, or PDF. Email or hard-copy applications will not be considered. All application materials must be submitted by the person who is designated as the application contact by the departmental chair’s office and must not be the applicant.

Applications submitted to Microsoft will not be returned. Microsoft cannot assume responsibility for the confidentiality of information in submitted applications. Therefore, applications should not contain information that is confidential, restricted, or sensitive. Microsoft reserves the right to make public the information on those applications that receive awards, except those portions containing budgetary or personally identifiable information.

Incomplete applications cannot be considered, and notification of incompleteness will not be made.

Due to the volume of submissions, Microsoft Research cannot provide individual feedback on applications that do not receive fellowship awards.

What if I am not starting my second year in academic year 2018–2019?

Students must be in their second year in a PhD program in the fall semester or quarter of 2018 to apply for this program.

Do I have to be nominated by my university or can I apply on my own?

To be considered for the program, you must be nominated by your department within your university. The application contact for your department chair must submit the application on your behalf.

Fellowship review process

Who will review the nominations?

Applications will be reviewed by researchers from Microsoft Research whose expertise covers a wide range of disciplines. After the first review, a selection of applicants will be invited for in-person interviews. Award recipients are chosen from the finalists.

When will I know the outcome of the review process?

Selected fellowship applicants will receive notification no later than January 31, 2019. Due to the volume of submissions, Microsoft Research cannot provide individual feedback on applications that do not receive fellowship awards.

Fellowship award details

If selected, when will my fellowship begin?

Persons awarded a fellowship in January will receive their financial awards by September of that year. Microsoft sends payment directly to the university, who will disperse funds according to their guidelines.

Are there any tax implications for me if I receive this fellowship?

The tax implications for your tuition and fees and stipend are based on the policy at your university.

Will intellectual property be an issue if I am awarded a fellowship?

The Microsoft Research Ada Lovelace Fellowship is not subject to any intellectual property (IP) restrictions unless and until the fellowship recipient also accepts an internship. If you accept an internship, you will be subject to the same restrictions as any other Microsoft intern.

Can I simultaneously receive fellowships from other companies?

If you accept a Microsoft Research Ada Lovelace Fellowship, you may not receive another fellowship from another company or institution during the same academic period. Fellows accepting multiple fellowships will become ineligible to receive continued funding from Microsoft. Microsoft will at its sole discretion consider a joint fellowship with a government or non-profit organization. Please contact msfellow@microsoft.com for consideration.